A French curve is a template usually made from

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

composed of many different curved segments. It is used in manual drafting and in

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

to draw smooth curves of varying radii. The curve is placed on the drawing material, and a

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of ...

knife A knife (: knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least Stone Age, 2.5 million years ago, as e ...

or other implement is traced around its curves to produce the desired result. They were invented by the German mathematician

Ludwig Burmester Ludwig Ernst Hans Burmester (5 May 1840 – 20 April 1927) was a German Kinematics, kinematician and geometer. His doctoral thesis (from German language, German: ''About the elements of a theory of isophotes'') concerned lines on a surface defi ...

and are also known as Burmester (curve) set.

Clothing design

French curves are used in

and

sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeo ...

alongside hip curves, straight edges and right-angle rulers. Commercial clothing patterns can be personalized for fit by using French curves to draw neckline, sleeve, bust and waist variations.

References

External links

* Weisstein, Eric W.
French Curve
' from MathWorld. *

' from Integrated Publishing. Technical drawing tools Curves Mathematical tools {{Tool-stub

Clothing design

See also

References

External links